James donovan and christopher behan



(No Modem Y 2 sheets-sheet 1.

I J- `DONOVAN & C. BEHAN'.

TRAGK GAGE. No. 551,622. Patented-Demi?, 1895.

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wwwa/eww ANDREW ELRMMM. PHUTU-UMQWSHINGTDN. 0,6.

(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

J. DONOVAN & G. BEHAN.

TRAGK GAGE.

10.551,622. Y 'PatentedDec.17,1895.

CHRISTOPHER BEHAN, citizens of the Unitedv v NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES DONOVAN AND CHRISTOPHER BEHAN, OF THREE RIVERS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS TO THE ROBERTS, THROP da COMPANY, OF SAME PLAGE.

.GAGE

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 551,622, dated December 17, 1895 Appnaam'l` ned February 11, 1895.

To coll wiz/0m, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JAMES DONOVAN and States, resid ing at Three Rivers, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Michigan, have. invented certain new and useful Improvemen ts in Track-Gages, of which the Afollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention consists in the construction of an extensible gage having devices for indicating the extension or compression of the bar; further, in its construction whereby it might be trailed behind a car upon a railwaytrack, and, further, in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts, all as more fully hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of our device as in use, showing in dotted lines va hand-car to which it is attached. Fig. 2 is a section through the shoe shown at the left in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a section on line Fig. 2.

A is a bar, of a length to extend quite across the rails of a railway-track, on one end of which is the sleeve B.

O is a spring coiled around the bar, abutting at one end against a collar a on the bar and at the other end against the inner end of the sleeve. y

D is a shoe at one end of the bar A, having a wearing-plate D on its under side and having a lip E depending 'from its inner edge, so as to bear against the inner face of a railway-rail. At the opposite end of the gage, on the end of the sleeve B, is a similar shoe F, having a lip F/ similar to the lip E, these parts being so constructed that by compressing the spring O the shoes D F will ride upon the rails, and the lips E F will be held by the tension of the spring tightly against the rails.

Gare pins on the bar A, projecting through a longitudinal slot G' in the sleeve and limitin g the longitudinal movement of the sleeve upon the bar.

II is a wheel journaled centrally of the shoe F and adapted to run on the rail, as shown in Fig. 2.

I is a bell supported on the shoe, over the wheel.

' J J are spring-hammers, one ou each side Serial No. 537,993. (No model.)

of the shoe F, upon the bar A,with which lugs or ribs K on the wheel H are adapted to strike.

To each shoe is secured the bar L adapted to be pivoted to a hand-car at its upper end, as shown in Fig. l, to be trailed behind such car.

The parts being thus constructed their operation is as follows: The gage being secured in position behind a car, as shown in Fig. l,

as the car moves along the shoes will slide upon the tracks and the lips E and F/ will bear constantly against the inner faces of the heads of the rail, held in such contact by the tension of the spring C. When the track is of the proper gage the wheel I-I will run freely between the spring-hammers J J without coming in contact with either of the same. lVhen the track is less than standard gage the sleeve B will be moved inward, carrying with it the wheel IRI, and this will bring the inner lugs K in contact with the spring-hammers J and ring the bell, thus indicating to the operator the point at which the track is too narrow. If the track is too wide the tension of the spring O will force the sleeve B and its shoe outwardly until the outer lugs K are in the path of the spring-hammers J, which will ring the outer bell. Vhile we have shown this construction as applied to a hand-car to be drawn behind the same,which we consider the most preferable means of using the same, it is evident that the gage can be drawn along the track by a man as well.

That we claim as our invention isl. In a track gage, a bar, a sleeve sliding thereon at one end, a spring to move the sleeve endwise, lips on the sleeve and the opposite end of the bar adapted to engage the rails, a bell on the sleeve, and means for ringing the bell arranged on opposite sides thereof upon endwise movement of the sleeve in either direction, substantially as described.

2. In a track gage, the combination of a bar, a sleeve sliding thereon, a spring to move the sleeve endwise, shoes on the bar and a sleeve having lips adapted to engage within the rails, a bell on the shoe of the sleeve,a wheel j ournaled in the sleeve shoe, and running on the rail, and hammers on the bar at each side adapted to be struck by the wheel upon endwise movement of the sleeve in either direction.

In it track gage, the combination of the bin' A,'Tl1e sleeve B, the spring C acting to move the sleeve endwise on. the bur, the shoes D and F at opposite ends of the gage, one upon the sleeve n-nd one upon the bar, the imnges F mld E on the shoes engaging the inner faces of the rail and bell mounted on. the sleeve-shoe, :t Wheel on said shoe, spring hammers secured to the bar on Opposite sides of the sleeve-shoe and lugs on the wheel adapted to en gage the spring hammers in endwise movement of the sleeve-shoe in either direction, substantially as described.

et. In n track gage the combination with rail shoes, of an indicator carried by one of the shoes, a rod between the slices, a sleeve on one shoe sliding on the rod, independent means carried respectively by the rod and sleeve for making the indication, and menus for attaching the shoes to :L suitable om', sul stnntially :1s described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two 'witnesses JAMES DONOVAN. CHRISIOPlIlIR RENAN. lVitnesses:

GEO. A. ROBERTS, JAMES B. ROBERTS. 

